


Beneath the Oak Tree

by YoungSoon



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Centaur Jongho, Cute, Dragon Seonghwa, Elf San, Elf WooYoung, Everyone Loves Little Elf San, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Fantasy, Faun Yunho, Fluff, Friendship, Other, Sun Spirit Mingi, Witch Hongjoong, fairy yeosang, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:56:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22818961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoungSoon/pseuds/YoungSoon
Summary: Once upon a time is how most fairytales start yet, not this one, as who says this is not the reality of this moment somewhere deep in an untouched forest.
Relationships: Choi San/Everyone
Comments: 14
Kudos: 83





	Beneath the Oak Tree

**Author's Note:**

> A gift to my Toony.

Believe it or not, but San is an elf. He is not one of those tall, statuesque creatures that move so gracefully as if they would be gilding a centimeter above the ground. He does have the pointy ears - those he is really proud of as they have been standing upright and have been keen on hearing even the smallest sound perfectly since he was born - but he doesn’t have the long, white hair. His hairdo is short and jade green, spiking in different directions, but from what he has heard, still incredibly soft. There are two deep yellow stems poking out of the top of his head on either side of his forehead like the antennas of a butterfly, and he can feel even the slightest breeze with them.

San is a moss elf if you can fathom the thought of such beings existing. He is good ten and a half centimeters tall, and he is quite proud of his height, as not many smaller elves grow this tall (never forget that half a centimeter or he will get upset). His clothes match the deep green patch of moss he calls his home so no one would see him as his task is to keep his home - his little moss patch - and the snaking roots of the oak tree safe from all things bad.

The patch he calls home lays at the bottom of an old oak tree - much, much, much older than San or almost everyone he knows. Its roots have curved out of the soil at places, giving San a roof to hide under when needed. There is a bright purple bellflower growing next to his home, blooming every year at the same place and swaying in the winds, ringing so gently only San can hear it. Bumblebees often visit it, buzzing loudly and seriously as they gather sweet nectar and stain their feet with bright yellow pollen, but it makes San’s days more enjoyable.

San is not allowed to leave the moss patch by more than a few steps. He is, after all, its guardian and he as to be around to protect it. Once in a while, he does dare to step away - just those few steps - to the mushroom elf right across from him named Wooyoung. He’s a bit of a snappy fellow who throws pebbles and fallen acorns at snails that slowly make their way to the mushroom circle he in charge of. But he is always the most loving when San prances over. His hair is a soft brown, matching the color of the mushrooms, and he is a good centimeter and a half shorter than San (never forget that half a centimeter), his ears flopping down a little. But his voice can be heard from afar, so they always talk across the patch of grass between the mushroom circle and the moss. 

A fairy often visits them both. His wings shine in all colors of the rainbow both being transparent and not at the same time. He flutters from one mushroom hat to another, barely touching them with his bare feet and swirls around the bellflower, making it ring softly. His hair is in the color of the sun and reaches his shoulders, floating freely as he moves, just like the white clothes he’s wearing. The fairy sometimes has a flower crown sitting on his head, and he brings one to Wooyoung and San too, weaved from the smallest flowers one could find. Yeosang is his name, and he is just one of the many friends that visit San. 

One of San’s favorite guests is Jongho. He’s very big, very broad and very strong and his fur always shines in the rays of sun like it has been freshly washed and combed. San would never describe black as a vibrant color, but Jongho’s coat is definitely a vibrant black. It is always soft to touch, and San loves to nap on the back curve of the centaur and let himself warm-up from the light soaking through the soft hairs. And Jongho just lets him, sitting at the feet of the oak tree and humming melodies San has never heard - always a new one and San simply listens, learning them all by heart. The most fun part of his visits is the tail. Oh, how much fun it is to sway in the long black hair. But San always knows when to stop - when Jongho’s left front hoove hits the ground three times, it has been enough, and San flops down on his moss pillow, freefalling from his improvised swing.

On sunny days Mingi comes. He slowly appears between the tops of the trees as light surrounded giant. He slowly shrinks down to the size of half a tree, then as big as Jongho, the size of a regular man and then to the ten and a half (you didn’t forget the half, right?) centimeters of San’s size. He yawns loudly and lays down on the soft green moss, often burying his face in San’s chest or resting his head on San’s lap as he slowly falls asleep in the middle of the day. He murmurs something about how lovely the day is and how tired he has been. On such days San guards not only his moss, the purple bellflower, and the roots of the oak tree but also the sleeping sun spirit in his lap.

When stormy nights shake the woods, Seonghwa always arrives. It is hard for him to move between bushes and trees, two gigantic, deep red, and scaled wings on his back, but he always arrives just before a storm hits. He sits down under the centuries-old tree and rests his back against the uneven bark, his knees bent, and the patch of moss San calls his home safely between his legs unharmed. Seonghwa is always warm, and he once told San he has fire living in his belly, and for it not to go down during storms, he hides under the oak tree.

While the storm roars, he lets San sleep on his stomach - which is always as warm as Mingi’s hug or Jongho’s fur heated up in the sun or maybe even warmer than both of those. His wings - larger than any bird could ever wish for and probably big enough to cover a whole Jongho - wrap around both of them tightly so no wind or rain could get in. He cradles San in his clawed hands close to his body, always apologizing his hands are so nasty, but San doesn’t care. He thinks Seonghwa is warm and beautiful, even if he says he is thousands of years old as is not lovely at all, San does not care. 

He listens carefully to stories from far, far ago that Seonghwa tells until they both fall asleep, his voice deep and soothing, tuning out the roaring winds. And each morning when they part their ways, San leaves a kiss on the dragon’s forehead between the two curved horns (probably as long as San himself) poking from his forehead and makes the dragon promise he will come back. And he always does.

Most fun San has with Yunho. He is probably even bigger than Jongho, but he is as gentle as Seonghwa, if not gentler. His laughter rings around the forest, making birds fly up from the trees and come whirling around him. They sit on the two ram-like horns on the sides of his head and gather at his hoofed feet as he flops down right between the mushroom circle and the patch of moss. The air is filled with cheerful tunes he plays on his syrinx that sends both close by elves into dance, often joined by their guesting fairy. It is a wild, loud mess, and all parties involved have the time of their lives. But running away with Yunho is the best.

Don’t worry, San is a very good moss elf, and he always returns to his home and guards it well. But sometimes, just sometimes, he likes running away with Yunho. The faun would grab just a tiny corner of the green moss bed in his large hand and sit San right on it. His fingers are serving as shields as he runs through the forest. Faster and more agile than anyone, he jumps over fallen trees and poking out roots. With the brightest smile, he greats each elf, each spirit they meet on their way and even shouts out ‘good day’ to skipping by rabbits. 

Yunho carries San to magical places - to trickling waterfalls that fall over green moss-covered rocks, guarded by chattering packs of water spirits; to widest lakes with nymphs dancing on their surface, mimicked by the lake spirits bellow. He shows him the tall mountains with sturdy dwarves guarding the passageways and the border where humans live - in small wooden houses with smoking chimneys. And at the end of a day-long adventure, he takes San back to his oak tree. 

When he doesn’t have time to take San on an adventure, he stops by and leaves him flowers or berries he has picked up somewhere along the way, and he makes sure they are never the same as before (and he leaves a few for Wooyoung too). Whenever he promises he will take San somewhere the next time, he always keeps his word and does so. Yes, with Yunho San has the most fun, and sometimes he wishes he could sit on his broad shoulder, hidden between his freely falling, messy black locks that reach is shoulders, and see all of the things he sees every day. But he is a good elf, and guarding his home is more important.

The most mysterious friend that visits San is an elf, or at least San thinks he is an elf. He has never seen the mans’ ears, as a tall, black, pointy hat wrapped with vines and small blooming flowers covers his head, but there is silver-white hair, barely reaching his chin, poking out from it. A long wooden staff with a shining orb embedded at the very top of it is always in his hand, matching ivy plants wrapping around it. He wears a long cloak of deep green, matching San’s clothes. Always, he appears without a sound in the early dawn or dusk hours and San is sure he must be an elf or perhaps a witch or maybe both at the same time.

He has a soft smile and kind eyes. Even when he sees the corner of the moss bed, Yunho has picked at to steal San for a day missing he just grazes it with his staff, and it goes back to normal. He doesn’t speak much, so knowing his name is HongJoong is pure luck. Yet Hongjoong knows San well. He always gently pets his head between his antennas using just two fingers and whispers, ‘you’ve done well, Sani’ in a kind voice. He does the same to Wooyoung and then walks away slowly, disappearing somewhere in the shadows of bushes and trees.

From early spring to late fall, San always has guests - from busy bumblebees to his many friends - but when winter comes, he has to sleep. He sleeps for a long, long time, but his heart keeps warm with memories while he is under the layers of snow and soil protecting him. When he wakes up next spring, he is greeted by the sprout of his purple bellflower. He has to wait a bit before Wooyoung wakes up as it takes longer for him, but soon enough, they are chatting across the patch of grass between them, and Yeosang flutters by with his dazzling wings. 

San is a moss elf who has to protect his patch of moss and the roots of the centuries-old oak tree. Even if one would say, it is a boring and lonely job; he would disagree as he has so many friends visiting him, he could never meet if he wouldn’t be where he is.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BeanSensei)  
  
  
Commissions [ HERE](https://twitter.com/BeanSensei/status/1219648851457593345)  
  
** OTHER ATEEZ FAN FICTION **  
**||** [ YunSan: Your Light ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19869763) **||** [ YunSan: The Silver Mask ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21159272) **||** [ YunSan: The Morning Alarm ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21284231) **||** [ YunSan: A Gift ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21452566) **||** [ YunSan: Useless Skills](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21523681) **||** [ YunSan : Cliche ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21573070) **||** [ YunSan: The Little Things ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21648208) **||** [ YunSan: It All Starts Somewhere ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21684025) **||** [ YunSan: Perfect](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21719539) **||** [ YunSan: Sugar and Spice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21758428) **||** [ YunSan: Magnetic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21932962) **||** [ JongWoo: Slow Down](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21794587) **||** [ 2Choi: City Lights](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21706930) **||** [ 2Choi: Call fo the Sea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22101031) **||** [ SanHwa: Until it Overflows](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22212610%22) **||** [ SanHwa: Gallows-Birds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22255243) **||** [ YunSan : Not a Cliche ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22362748) **||** [ YunSan : Untouched ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22773562)


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